Carrying Sling for a Child

ABSTRACT

A sling that helps to lift a sleeping child from a car seat or stroller without waking the child.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of PPA Ser. No. 62/060,873 filed onOct. 7, 2014.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to baby carriers and, in particular, to acarrier which accommodates seat belt restraints, stroller, baby jogger,car seat or other child carrier to assure the child's safety andcomfort.

BACKGROUND

Varieties of covers, wraps, slings and carriers have been developed tocontain children and toddlers. Known carriers generally consist of ablanket or flat sheet which envelops the child and straps to secure andcarry the child.

If the child is at rest these carriers often require waking him or herin order property secure and move child.

This invention provides a carrying sling for a resting child whichallows the safe lifting and moving of a child without disturbing them.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a carrying sling for a person, such as achild, that allows the safe and efficient lifting and moving of a childat rest without disturbing the child from that rest. The inventioncomprises a sling including two handles adjacent to a head support areaof the sling, a leg support area with two wings and an aperture oneither wing, and a handle adjacent to a leg support area of the slingwhich is threaded through the two apertures to secure the child's legs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Many times a sleeping child is awakened when the parent or guardianattempts to lift the sleeping child from a car seat or stroller. Theinvention claimed here solves this problem by allowing the parent orguardian to gently lift the child in place without disturbing theirrest.

When sewn into the designed pattern the components form a form-fittingsling that cradles the child. The posterior end of the sling securelywraps the child's buttocks while the rest of the sling safely andsecurely cradles the child. The handles are then used to lift the childfrom the car seat or stroller.

Once the fabric handles and thread are procured they must be cut intothe proper shape and length. The components are then sewn together inthe proper configuration to create the sling. Button holes may be thencut into the sling. This could be done by hand or by machine. Analternative construction sews metallic rings, such as D-rings to theposterior end of the sling in place of button holes.

The parent or guardian would place the invention into the car seat orstroller and then place the child on top of the sling. Once the child isseated in the car seat or stroller the parent or guardian would securethe child with the handles provided by the car seat or strollermanufacture. The sling will not interfere with the normal use of childrestraints provided by the manufacturer of the car seat or stroller.When the parent or guardian wishes to remove the child from the car seator stroller, the parent or guardian removes the car seat or strollerrestrains, wraps the child's buttocks with the invention, secures thesling around the buttocks with the sling's posterior handle, then liftsthe child from the car seat or stroller with all of the sling's handles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the child sling when used to lift asleeping child.

FIG. 2 is a plain view of the child sling according as it appears whenlaid flat.

FIG. 3 is a plain view of the child sling with an alternative apertureconstruction

FIG. 4A is a view of a portion of the child sling with unsecuredanti-tangle restraints

FIG. 4B is a view of a portion of the child sling with securedanti-tangle restraints

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing a child supported by theimproved carrying sling 100 of the invention. The child 110 can be, forinstance, resting on the carrying sling 100 in a car seat. A personlifting the child 110 would then take each wing 120 and 121 and wrapthem over each of the child's legs 111 and 112 with the wings 120 and121 overlapping at the point where the two apertures 125 on the wingsare located. The person would then thread the posterior handle 130through both apertures 125 so as to secure the child's legs 111 and 112near the buttocks. The person would then grab the anterior handles 140and 141 near the child's head 113 and posterior handle 130 and lift thechild from the car seat with the weight of the child held within thesling. This allows the person to move the child without disturbing hisor her rest.

When each of the lifter's hands are positioned at a similar height abovea ground surface, the child 100 will be positioned with their head 113slightly above their legs 111 and 112 due to the length of the posteriorregion of the sling 100 where the posterior handle 130 is located. Thisresting position will provide a comfortable position for the child andwill ensure the child is positioned in sling 100 such that each of thechild's legs 111 and 112 are received in one of leg loops formed by thewings 120 and 121 and the posterior handle 130. The posterior handle 130threaded through the wings also prevents the child from slipping fromthe sling. In other words, sling 100 is said to wrap around the sides ofa child 110 held within the sling 100 so as to secure the child 110therein.

FIG. 2 shows a plain view of the carrying sling 200. The primaryflexible sheet 210 can be adorned with images and patterns and extendsin a longitudinal direction until it terminates at the posterior end 211where the posterior handle 241 attaches. Two handles 240 are attached tothe anterior end 212 of the flexible sheet. The wings 220 extend fromthe posterior end 211 and oriented in the transverse direction. They aredefined by an anterior facing flank 221 and a posterior facing flank 222which meet and form the perimeter of the wings 220. An aperture 230 islocated near the distal end of each wing 220 so that the posteriorhandle 241 can pass through but the posterior end 211 cannot. Theinability of the posterior end to pass through the aperture provides thesupport necessary to lift the child.

When not in use, sling 200 is easily folded and stored. Moreover, sling200 is easily washed and may be manufactured in any size as may bedesired. The sling may also be manufactured of a plastic coated or otherwater resistant/repellant material so as to facilitate cleaning of thesling. The sling of the present invention, therefore, provides a secureand comfortable carrying sling which allows the lifter to efficientlyand safely lift and carry a child without holding the child under thechild's armpits. Moreover, the thin flexible nature of sling 200 allowsthe child to remain in the sling 200, when handles 240 and 241 are notgripped, so that the sling need not be removed when the child is placedin a high chair, a car seat or a stroller, for example. Accordingly, thechild may be easily lifted from the high chair, car seat or stroller,without requiring repositioning of sling 200 underneath the child aftersuch activities.

FIG. 3 shows a plain view of an alternate embodiment of the carryingsling 300. This embodiment has an alternative construction for theapertures 330. This embodiment has a primary flexible sheet 310extending in a longitudinal direction until it terminates at theposterior end 311 where the posterior handle 341 attaches. Two handles340 are attached to the anterior end 312 of the flexible sheet. Thewings 320 extend from the posterior end 311 and oriented in thetransverse direction. They are defined by an anterior facing flank 321and a posterior facing flank 322. In this embodiment the posterior andanterior flanks do not meet at an apex but are connected by alongitudinal flank 323 at which point a ring 330 is attached. This ringcan be of any type, such as “D” ring or an “O” ring; but it must form anaperture so that the posterior handle 341 can pass through but theposterior end 311 cannot. The inability of the posterior end to passthrough the aperture provides the support necessary to lift the child.

FIGS. 4A and 4B show an alternative construction of the handles of thecarrying sling. In this embodiment the flexible sheet 410 and the handle440 contain a fastener allowing the loop of the handle to be secured tothe flexible sheet so as to prevent a child from getting tangled in thehandle when not being used to lift the child. The fastener in thisembodiment is a snap fastener 420 which comprises a female portion 421adapted to receive a male portion 422 and hold the male portion securelyin place. In this embodiment the male portion 422 of the snap faster islocated centrally on the handle 440 and the female portion 421 of thesnap fastener is located adjacent to the edge of the fabric sheet 410and centrally between the connection points of the handle 440 to thefabric sheet 410. FIG. 4A shows the snap fastener on the sling 400 inthe disengaged position where the handle 440 is free to be used to liftan infant. FIG. 4B shows the snap fastener on the sling 401 in theengaged position where the handle 440 is stowed so as not to entanglethe child when he is not being lifted. The male and female components ofthe snap fastener can be installed on either the fabric sheet 410 or thehandle 440 so long as a matching pair exists. Further other fastenerssuch as button, hook and loop, or magnetic fasteners may be substitutedfor the snap fastener so long as a solid connection can be made to stowthe handle safely.

While the invention has been described with respect to various presentlypreferred constructions, still other constructions may be suggested tothose skilled in the art. The foregoing description should be construedto include all those embodiments within the spirit and scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A carrying sling for a person having alongitudinal and a transverse direction, the carrying sling comprising:a flexible sheet extending in the longitudinal direction, where theflexible sheet has a posterior end region and an anterior end region; aposterior handle extending in the longitudinal direction from theposterior end region; a flexible right wing extending in the transversedirection from the posterior end region, the right wing delimited by aposterior flank and anterior flank which converge at a right distal end,the right wing having a right aperture proximate to the right distal endadapted to receive the posterior handle; a flexible left wing extendingin the transverse direction from the posterior end region and oppositethe right wing, the left wing delimited by a posterior flank andanterior flank which converge at a left distal end, the left wing havinga left aperture proximate to the left distal end adapted to receive theposterior handle; and at least one anterior handle extending from theanterior end region.
 2. A carrying sling set forth in claim 1 where theright aperture is formed by a ring fastened to the right distal end andthe left aperture is formed by a ring fastened to the left distal end.3. A carrying sling as set forth in claims 1 and 2 where the primaryflexible sheet and wings are formed from one continuous sheet ofmaterial.
 4. A carrying sling as set forth in claims 1 and 2 where theat least one anterior handle comprises a right anterior handle extendingin the transverse direction from the anterior end region and a leftanterior handle extending in the transverse direction from the anteriorend region and opposite the right anterior handle.
 5. A carrying slingas set forth in claims 1 and 2 where the at least one anterior handleand the posterior handle can be securely fastened to the flexible sheet.6. A method of producing a carrying sling for a person, the carryingsling having a longitudinal and a transverse direction, said carryingsling comprising: a flexible sheet extending in the longitudinaldirection, where the flexible sheet has a posterior end region and ananterior end region; a posterior handle extending in the longitudinaldirection from the posterior end region; a flexible right wing extendingin the transverse direction from the posterior end region, the rightwing delimited by a posterior flank and anterior flank which converge ata right distal end, the right wing having a right aperture proximate tothe right distal end adapted to receive the posterior handle; a flexibleleft wing extending in the transverse direction from the posterior endregion and opposite the right wing, the left wing delimited by aposterior flank and anterior flank which converge at a left distal end,the left wing having a left aperture proximate to the left distal endadapted to receive the posterior handle; and at least one anteriorhandle extending from the anterior end region.